Easy Uses
Easy Marinades
¼ C The Tasteful Olive's olive oil (your choice of flavored or unflavored)
¼ C The Tasteful Olive's balsamic vinegar (your choice of dark or white, flavored or unflavored!)
1 T The Tasteful Olive's spice blends/seasonings
Why use a marinade? Marinades are seasoned liquid mixtures that add both flavor and tenderize meat. They are a fast, easy way to create delicious meat dishes, especially with less expensive cuts of meat. Marinades must contain an ingredient to break down the meat fibers and let the flavors penetrate. They can be achieved with an acidic substance (vinegar, wine, spirits, lemon juice, etc.) or a natural tenderizing enzyme such as those found in fresh papaya, ginger, pineapple and figs. Oil is added to the marinade to help ingredients adhere better to the meat and to aid in browning during cooking.
Instructions and tips:
- Mix above ingredients and marinate for as little as 20 minutes.
- Seafood should generally not be marinated for more than 1 hour. Other meats can be marinated as much as 2 days ahead in the refrigerator.
- An easy way to marinate is to put meats directly from freezer into the marinade and refrigerate overnight.
- Note: the more tender the meat, the less time it needs to marinate.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 T The Tasteful Olive's balsamic vinegar (your choice of dark or white, flavored or unflavored)
1-2 T The Tasteful Olive's olive oil (your choice of unflavored or flavored)
½-1 T Dijon mustard
½-1 tsp honey
Salt & pepper, to taste
* Serves 1-2 people
Instructions and tips:
- Whisk above ingredients together, pour over your salad and enjoy!
- If you need to make a larger batch, we recommend maintaining 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar.
- You can make a larger batch and store it in your refrigerator for approximately 1 week. You will need to let the mixture come to room temperature before serving.
- You can easily add or substitute other ingredients, such as mayo, different types of mustard, chopped garlic, and other spices to fit your liking.
Balsamic Reduction
1/2 C The Tasteful Olive's balsamic vinegar (your choice of dark or white, flavored or unflavored)
Instructions and tips:
- In a small saucepan or skillet, gently simmer vinegar for 10-15 minutes (small bubbles should form around edge of the pan).
- Allow vinegar to cool slightly until just warm.
- Test for desired thickness with a spoon. If too thin, continue to simmer. If too thick, add ½ tsp water.
- Drizzle this reduction glaze over your meats, veggies, fresh fruits, or desserts and enjoy!
